Nemanja Matić
| cityofbirth = Šabac | countryofbirth = SFR Yugoslavia | dateofdeath = | cityofdeath = | countryofdeath = | height = | position = Defensive midfielder | currentclub = Manchester United | clubnumber = 31 | youthyears = | youthclubs = Jedinstvo Ub | years = 2005–2007 2007–2009 2009–2011 2010–2011 2011–2014 2014–2017 2017– | clubs = Jedinstvo Ub Košice Chelsea → Vitesse (loan) Benfica Chelsea Manchester United | caps(goals) = 16 (0) 70 (4) 2 (0) 27 (2) 56 (6) 121 (4) 0 (0) | nationalyears = 2008–2010 2008– | nationalteam = Serbia U21 Serbia | nationalcaps(goals) = 11 (2) 32 (1) | manageryears = | managerclubs = }} Nemanja Matić (born 1 August 1988) is a Serbian professional footballer who plays for English club Manchester United and the Serbian national team as a defensive midfielder. Club career Early career Chelsea On 18 August 2009, Matić signed for Chelsea from MFK Košice for a fee of around £1.5 million in a four-year contract. He was given the number 24 shirt by Chelsea but wasn't able to make his debut immediately due to the injury he picked up at the 2009 under-21 championships. He was on the bench for Chelsea's League Cup match against Queens Park Rangers on 23 September 2009, but did not take any part in the 1–0 victory. Matić made his Premier League debut for Chelsea on 21 November, coming on as a substitute for Florent Malouda in the 69th minute in a 4–0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers. On 23 August 2010, Matić transferred to Dutch Eredivisie club Vitesse on a one-year loan, together with teammates Slobodan Rajković and Matej Delač. Benfica On 31 January 2011, Matić was transferred to Portuguese club Benfica along with €25 million (£21M) in a swap deal for Brazilian centre back David Luiz. On 13 January 2013, Matić scored Benfica's first goal in an entertaining 2–2 draw with O Clássico rivals Porto. The next day, he was awarded with a contract extension lasting until 2018, with the buyout clause set at €45 million. In Benfica's second-leg Round of 32 Europa League clash with Bayer Leverkusen, Matić headed in a late goal after a cross from Lima to seal a 3–1 aggregate victory. Matić was an integral member throughout the Primeira Liga campaign as Benfica looked to claim the club's first league championship since 2010. Going into the penultimate game of the season against rivals Porto, both teams were undefeated in league play, but a stoppage-time winner from substitute Kelvin gave Porto a 2–1 victory, a win which eventually sealed a third straight title for the Dragons. On 15 May, Matić faced former employers Chelsea in the Europa League final in Amsterdam but was on the losing side as Benfica fell to a 2–1 defeat, courtesy of a last minute Branislav Ivanović header. On 4 July 2013, he was named Primeira Liga Player of the Year, after having won the monthly award three times over the course of the season. On 13 January 2014, Matić placed second in FIFA Puskás Award. Return to Chelsea On 15 January 2014, Matić rejoined Chelsea for a fee of £21 million, on a five-and-a-half-year contract. He made his second debut for the club four days later, replacing Willian in a 3-1 win against Manchester United. International career Matić's debut for the Serbia under-21 team came in a match against Denmark on 11 October 2008. After three matches and two goals for the Serbia under-21 squad, he was called up to the Serbian senior squad and made his debut in a friendly against Poland on 14 December 2008 in a 1–0 loss. Matić took part in the 2009 UEFA Euro under-21 Championship, where he played 85 minutes in the first group match against Italy in a 0–0 draw. Matić, however, injured himself after contact with Italian forward Sebastian Giovinco. He broke the fifth metatarsal in his right foot and was forced to undergo surgery. In December 2012, Matić announced he would not play for the Serbian national team while Siniša Mihajlović is the coach. The reason he gave for this decision is that he felt he was not given the right opportunity by the coach not playing a single minute in his last five call-ups. On 6 September 2013, Matić returned to his national team on a 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Croatia, being sent off at 75th minute. Honours Clubs ;Košice * Slovak Cup: 2008–09 ;Chelsea * Premier League: 2014–15, 2016–17 * FA Cup: 2009–10 * Football League Cup: 2015 ;Benfica * Primeira Liga: 2013–14 * Taça de Portugal: 2013–14 * Taça da Liga: 2011–12 Individual * Primeira Liga Player of the Year: 2012–13 * SJPF Player of the Month: December 2012, January 2013, April 2013 * FIFA Puskás Award: Runner-up 2013 * Serbian Player of the Year: 2014, 2015 * Premier League PFA Team of the Year: 2014–15 External links *Profile on Serbian national football team website Category:1988 births Matic Category:FK Jedinstvo Ub players Category:MFK Košice players Category:Chelsea F.C. players Category:SBV Vitesse players Category:S.L. Benfica players Category:Players Category:Serbian players Category:Living people Category:Manchester United F.C. players Category:2018 FIFA World Cup players